Looking for Healthy Salad Ideas?

If you tired of the same old salad dish and looking for some new ideas, try one of these salad dishes.

Clean-Eating Salad Recipes

Broccoli-Bacon Salad

This 20 minute recipe is a picnic favorite. It combines broccoli, water chestnuts, cranberries and just a little bacon for delicious results.

Serves: 5

Ingredients
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 cups finely chopped broccoli crowns
  • 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
  • 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
  • Freshly ground pepper, to add some taste
Preparation
  • Whisk garlic, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and sugar in a large bowl. Add broccoli, water chestnuts, bacon, cranberries and pepper; stir to coat with the dressing.
  • To save it for the next day, simply cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
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Quinoa Avocado Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

With a bit of sweetness added to this tossed green salad, it sure is a healthy salad dressing. A sprinkle of crispy fried quinoa adds an unexpected crunch.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup crème fraîche
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  • 1 small clove garlic, grated
  • ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper plus ¼ teaspoon, divided
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil, divided
  • 1¼ cups cooked quinoa, divided
  • 2 heads Belgian endive, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 2 firm ripe Fuyu persimmons or pears, thinly sliced
  • 2 ripe avocados, sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Preparation
  1. Whisk buttermilk, crème fraîche, vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, shallot, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup quinoa and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
  3. Combine endive and persimmons (or pears) with the remaining 1 cup quinoa, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Spread on a platter. Add avocado with the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and sprinkle with the remaining ⅛ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Arrange on the platter. Spread a bit of the reserved dressing. Serve topped with dill and the crispy quinoa.
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Healthy Greek Salad Recipes

Greek Kale Salad with Quinoa & Chicken

Toss the cooked chicken into this easy and healthy 5-ingredient salad recipe, while it’s still warm to lightly wilt the kale, making it softer and easier to eat.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • ¼ cup sliced jarred roasted red peppers
  • ¼ cup Greek salad dressing
  • Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Preparation
  1. Place kale, chicken, quinoa and roasted peppers in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Top with feta, if desired.
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Edamame & Chicken Greek Salad

This healthy dinner salad recipe with cucumber, feta, basil and olives has edamame added for extra protein. Serve with toasted pita drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast, trimmed
  • ¼ cup red-wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • 8 ounces frozen shelled edamame (about 1½ cups), thawed
  • 8 cups chopped romaine (about 2 romaine hearts)
  • 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
  • ½ European cucumber, sliced
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup slivered fresh basil
  • ¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives
  • ¼ cup slivered red onion
Preparation
  1. Place chicken in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken registers 165°F, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let cool for 5 minutes; shred or chop into bite-size pieces.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add edamame, romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, basil, olives, onion and the chicken; toss to coat.
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Healthy Vegan Salad Recipes

Grilled Eggplant Salad

This easy grilled eggplant salad is the healthy side dish you’ll want to serve all summer long. It comes together in just 25 minutes and can be served warm or at room temperature, so it’s equally suited to casual parties and weeknight dinners.

Serve it with grilled chicken or fish or as part of a vegetarian mezze platter with dips like hummus and pita bread.

Serving: 4

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Ingredients
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon), divided
  • 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into ½-inch-thick slices
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered lengthwise
  • ½ medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges through the root
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
  • ½ teaspoon salt
Preparation
  1. Preheat a grill to medium-high.
  2. Combine oil, za’atar and lemon zest in a small bowl. Brush 1 side of eggplant slices with half of the oil mixture; reserve the remaining mixture. Oil the grill rack (see Tips). Grill the eggplant, uncovered, turning often, until tender and grill marks appear on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Cut the eggplant into ¼-inch pieces and transfer to a large bowl.
  3. Coat bell pepper quarters and onion wedges with cooking spray. Grill, uncovered, until tender and charred, about 5 minutes. Chop the peppers into ¾-inch pieces. Remove and discard onion stem. Add the peppers, onions, tomatoes, parsley, scallions and mint to the bowl with the eggplant.
  4. Add lemon juice and salt to the reserved oil mixture; whisk to combine. Drizzle over the vegetables and toss to coat.
  • The Middle Eastern spice blend za’atar gives you big flavor from just one ingredient: it’s a mix of thyme, sumac, salt, sesame seeds and sometimes other herbs. Look for it in the bulk-spice section of natural-foods stores, in specialty-foods stores, in the spice section of some grocery stores or online. To make your own mix: Combine 1 tsp. each ground sumac, sesame seeds and dried thyme with ¼ tsp. salt.
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Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas

This healthy high-fiber salad comes together in just 10 minutes. Serve it right away or pack it in individual servings for four high-fiber lunches for the week ahead.

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 1 (9 to 10 ounce) package shredded or shaved Brussels sprouts
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • ½ cup Tahini Sauce with Lemon & Garlic (see Associated Recipes)
  • 1 cup roasted chickpea snacks with sea salt
  • 1 medium avocado, pitted and quartered
Preparation
  1. Divide Brussels sprouts and kale among 4 single-serving lidded containers (you’ll have about 3½ cups of greens in each container). Seal and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  2. Transfer 2 tablespoons tahini sauce into each of 4 small lidded containers; refrigerate for up to 4 days.
  3. Just before serving each salad, drizzle with 1 portion of tahini sauce and toss well to coat. Top with ¼ cup roasted chickpeas and ¼ avocado.
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Make one of these highly nutrient salad dishes once and it will become a regular on your backyard barbecue menu.

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